I remember reading The Quietus' review of Music Complete a couple of weeks ago, and the reviewer quipped that on first listen, he'd drawn a frowny face in his notes next to this song because it sounded too much like guitary New Order by numbers. To my ear, New Order have only made three truly great guitar songs since Dream Attack closed Technique: Regret, the title cut to Waiting For The Sirens' Call, and this.

I've realized that it gives me that classic NO rush because it's a refined version of Paradise from Brotherhood - especially with that sequencer bassline low in the mix. You can even sing the lyrics to Paradise over the whole outro of Academic. Funny to me that one of the most NO-sounding songs on the album was actually written by Phil and Tom!

That single-note bended guitar solo is straight out of The Cure's A Hundred Years.

I love Barney's "doo doo doo" vocal ad-libs before the guitar solo, and this is the track where it finally sank in that he'd really made an effort with the lyrics.

I can't stop listening to this album. I'm a 45-year old man who's as giddy as I was at age 16 buying Brotherhood new.

First Impressions of MUSIC COMPLETE listed Nothing But a Fool, Tutti Frutti, People on the Highline as perfect songs.

My very first reaction to ACADEMIC, captured on my livetweeting the album leak:

Track #7: Finally some guitars and live drums go surfing on these symphonic synth waves. No other musicians on the planet can make THIS sound. (even without Hooky)

Now, I would say that if there are three perfect songs on the album, Academic is one of them (and Nothing But a Fool). Side 3 rocks!

Third perfect song? Restless?

Edited by user 28 September 2015 16:51:05(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

People bang on about Elvis and Kennedy, but I will always remember where I was when I heard Academic for the first time - in the third isle of Aldi looking for spaghetti hoops.

That New Order speciality - euphoric sadness - hit me in a way that I used to experience thirty years ago and would always experience at least once on every album release.

I adore this record.

According to my Ipod of all the Music Complete tracks Academic is my most listened to with 26 since release two weeks ago today. The next being most of the others. For me Academic just sums up the full weight of effort that's gone into this album, whether that's down to Gillian, an urge to show they don't need no Hooky or what I have no idea. In some ways, the track could've sat nicely on WFTSC with it being sort of guitar-driven but there's so much more going on with the song compared to the WFTSC tracks it could be a different band (which in many ways it is, of course).

Mind you, that "so much more going on" is the same with all the Music Complete stuff; the sound is full to bursting. Brilliance.

It's definitely one of the best songs on this "synthy" album for me and I revisit it a fair bit on my phone. I also see from the liner notes that it was one of the few tracks to feature simply "the band" I.e. no orchestra, external producer or additional songwriter; just the current line-up playing as one which is nice. I also reckon the lyrics are some of Bernard's best this time around. There is something effortless about Academic which shines through from the Marr-esque chiming guitar to the subtle sequencer bassline bubbling underneath. Academic is certainly a million miles away from the sometimes torpid guitar sound which plagued bits of Get Ready; in fact it sounds a bit like Hellbent's slightly more melodic cousin (and I like Hellbent).

I don't think it will be a single (not necessarily a bad thing) but is surely to become a fan favourite.

Came here to say the same thing. The extended version is a sublime mixture of rock and electro-pop. Can't stop listening. To the extent that I'm missing out on what I'm sure must be quite good albums from Silversun Pickups, Disclosure, Jamie Woon, Grimes and many others. It's a nice problem to have!

I think Academic will have more longevity than the dance tracks....the freshness of Tutti Frutti & POTHL is slowly wearing off now....and my two fave tracks when I got the album download - Singularity & Plastic are also slowing becoming second best behind Academic.

ok, i've made 3 mixes of it.

check them out here:
http://forums.neworderon...ts&m=21712#post21712

later
-1

The Academic (Extended Mix) audio stems are available from Juno Download for £1.99 (in the UK anyway).

I purchased/downloaded and you basically get a 78mb lossy AAC file which in turn contains 5 audio streams:

- The Full Extended Mix
- Bass
- Drums
- Melody
- Vox

If you use the freeware editor Audacity and ensure you have ffmpeg installed you can load up the separate streams and view/extract for remixing purposes.

I haven't loaded the stems into my sequencing application yet but I made a quick instrumental version of the track straight away simply by saving it down minus the Vox.

Great track, I hope this means it will be a single.

Edited by user 01 December 2015 14:11:39(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified